CHAPTER 37
ABEL
“What about this?”I hold up a cream blanket that’s so, so,sosoft.
Perry runs his fingers over it, but frowns. “Wrong color. Let’s do purples.”
“Oh! Yes!” I run around the shop and grab purple blankets, pillows, towels, curtains, whatever I can get my hands on and bring it to the cart Perry leans against.
Buckle wandered off a while ago, but I wasmadeto help build nests. I’m a bird, for crying out loud!
“Mmm, yes. Purple is the correct color.” Perry rubs one of the pillows against his cheek, then offers it to me. “Perfect.”
I preen and throw the pillow in the cart. “How many do you want?”
“Seven.”
I turn on my heel to grab seven more of the exact pillow.
We continue on until Perry and I both have carts full of nest making materials that his squirrel decided we needed. He’s four months pregnant, so horny, and a little bossy. I fall deeper in love with him every day, and of course with Buckle, too.
Perry and I are finally moved into Buckle’s house. It took all three of us, plus Pax and Aaron’s help. I didn’t have much, but Perry had an entire house worth of stuff. Some of it stayed, some of it came over. Eventually, we’ll rent his house out, but right now, that’s so far from any of our minds. We’re deep into domestic bliss and nesting.
Somuch nesting and I’m here for it.
We’re taking over one of the spare bedrooms to make a big family nest. Buckle didn’t make a fuss about it, probably because he had heart-eyes again.
“Hey, what about this?” Buckle laughs when he sees our overflowing carts. “Nevermind, it looks like you both have everything we need.”
“Gimme.” Perry holds out his hand to take the stuffed rose. “We need likefiveof these. Especially if there’s a purple one.”
“As you wish, baby.” Buckle leans in to kiss Perry before turning on his heel.
I sigh, this is the best. “I love nest shopping.” I pat the head of one of my new stuffies I grabbed for my library roof nest.
“Same,” Perry says as he looks over his stash. “I always feel like I’m missing something, though, and I can never figure out what it is.”
Elsbeth strolls right on by without stopping. She’s not supposed to behere. “Mates in your nest with you.”
“That sounds right,” Buckle says, carrying five of the stuffed roses with him, two of them being purple. “I think this nest is going to be perfect once we’re all in it together.”
I hum in agreement and grab a few boxes of candy as we walk down the candy aisle. There are a few more things I need to grab before we go home. I just hope Perry enjoys what we have in store for him.
“I think I need a few new shirts,” he says and waddles off to the clothing aisle with us trailing behind.
Buckle leans towards me. “Operation baby shower is ready. We just gotta get him home.”
“Elsbeth threw me off. She’s supposed to be at our house,” I whisper.
“I think she knows how to play the game. She threw him off our scent. If she’shere, there’s no way we’re throwing a baby shower because obviously she’d bethere.Right?”
I nod. “Very true. We’d never throw a baby shower without her.”
Perry finally joins us again, now with several new purple shirts in his cart. We’re all set and as we make our way to the checkout, I can’t help but bounce on my toes. I’m determined to make this surprise baby shower one he’ll never forget.
On the drive home, I sneak glances at Perry, who’s chattering about all the food he wants for dinner. I just know he’s going to love what we have planned.
When we pull into the driveway, I catch Buckle’s eye, and we exchange a quick nod. This is it.
